Left for Life
by RanulfFlambard4
Summary: Kite is now a hunter, ready to start his adventures with Ging. But something's been bothering him, is this the life he was meant to choose? Ging doesn't want to hold his friend back, and so sets him a challenge. "Catch me if you can." But is Kite meant to catch Ging? Or is he meat to catch the idea of what he wants to do with his life?
1. Sunset

"I spy... with my little eye... something beginning with... G..."

"Is it Ging?"

"I can't see myself can I!?" Ging scoffed, "Come on, guess again."

Kite glared at the scenery, "Is it, grass?"

"Nope."

"Green?"

"Nope."

"Guessing what the thing in eye spy is?"

"Come on, Kite! It's right in front of you!" Ging sniggered. "Look at your trousers!"

Kite frowned at him and looked down to see a small grasshopper on his trouser leg. "Oh."

"HA!" Ging burst out laughing, "I love this game!"

"Don't you think it gets old after four hours?" Kite gently lifted the grasshopper off his leg and on to the bush next to him.

"We've had to wait four hours to see this!" Ging rubbed his hands together.

"And I'm still not sure why it's worth it..." Kite sighed and dipped his hand in to the berry pot again.

"Well, it's your turn!" Ging smiled.

"Is it really..." Kite muttered. "Fine. Well, I spy with my little eye, something beginning with..." Kite looked around, what the hell could he see that was different to all the other things he's 'spied' in the past four hours. He grimaced, "Something beginning with A..."

Ging sat and thought for a moment, "Ant?"

"I damn well hope not..."

"Aardvark?"

"I can't see one of them..."

"Anthuriums species of flower?"

"Yes."

"REALLY!? Where?!" Ging shot up.

"I was being facetious. Sit down there isn't one."

"…Shame…"

Kite rested his head against the rock they sat against and sighed, "Could you please just tell me what we're waiting for?"

Ging smiled, "You're usually such a patient man. You usually look like you could sit and just relax for days on end, yet today you've got ants in your pants."

Kite gave him a look, "I do not have ants in my pants…"

Ging grinned, "Annoying man?"

"What?"

"That was what you spied, me? An annoying man?"

Kite sighed, "I feel bad now you actually guessed it…"

Ging burst out laughing again, "You were the one who bugged me to train you!"

"I don't regret it!" Kite smiled, he enjoyed times like these, as much as he was loathed to admit it, Ging was good to hang out with.

"So what's the matter?" Ging settled back down.

"I'm not really sure." Kite threw a stone off the edge of the cliff where they sat as the day was coming to a close. "I've been thinking a lot."

"Well, thinking is good!" Ging smiled, "If you don't think the world will stay the same."

"That's what I'm worried about." Kite looked at him, "I'm training and learning. I've mastered Nen, I'm probably a top class hunter by now…"

"Probably.. of course you're are one!" Ging beamed.

"But…" Kite stopped, "It doesn't matter."

"Of course it matters!"

Kite smiled, "You won't like this."

"I'm all ears."

Kite paused, his face grew more serious, "What if we're wasting our lives?"

Ging stopped and sat back.

Silence passed between them, as the wind rustled the trees beneath them. The air swept Kite's hair backwards lightly, making it brush the ground where they sat.

"There." Ging said softly, "Look now."

Kite turned and looked to the horizon. The brilliant sun was almost flying down, as if vanishing out of everyone's reach, escaping to some unknown place. The sky turned a brilliant red, and flames seemed to leap off the surface of the sun as it dipped behind the mountains and trees.

Kite lifted his arm to shade his eyes, and the beams broke around him, shooting off in every direction.

Ging sat there, a small smile on his lips. "This is what I live for."

Kite nodded, "I know."

"This is why I feel I'm not wasting my life."

"I didn't mean it like…"

"I know." Ging looked at him, "I know. Kite, please. I've seen the way you look sometimes. We walked through that village, and you had such a look of longing when you see a family, with a picnic. Or kids playing with dogs. I've seen the way you smile at mothers and babies. Kite look at me."

Kite chewed on the side of his mouth, eventually looking at Ging. "Yes?"

"You want a family."

Kite looked away, "Don't be stupid."

"I'm not!" Ging laughed again, the sound breaking the heavy tension he'd created. "I'm not... But Kite, think seriously. Having a family and being a Hunter don't mix well together."

"How would you know?" Kite laughed pulling his cap down.

Ging paused and smiled, "I don't. I haven't even tried."

"Well there you go." Kite rested his head once again. "Thank you."

"What for?" Ging raised an eyebrow.

"For showing me the sunset. It was beautiful."

Ging beamed, "I know! Sunsets are beautiful yet different all around the world! I'm determined to see them all!"

"You do that…" Kite smiled, "I hope it's all worth it."

The two men sat for some time in silence as it fell dark around them and began to grow colder. Ging looked to his companion, "Kite?"

There was no reply.

Ging leaned over and sniggered, as Kite's head had fallen on to his shoulder, and he was dribbling down his white polo neck top while he slept.

"You'll get neck ache!" Ging chuckled to himself as he built a small fire close enough to keep them warm, before sliding himself up next to Kite, tucking his head under Kite's as to lift it up, with a little added zetsu as so not to wake him up.

Kite had often awoken to find Ging next to him like this, and although it had bothered him at first, he was perfectly used to it now. They never slept inside, and it was the best way to keep warm. At first Kite had complained he was only a student and Ging shouldn't be this way with him, but Ging didn't seem to like all the formality and master student business, so most of the time, it seemed more like hanging around with a friend than learning an art.

The night past smoothly, the stars shone around them. Ging couldn't imagine anything more wonderful as he began to drift off, but of course it was very possible that Kite might... and he should give him a chance, to find out what he really wants...


	2. Daybreak

Kite awoke to the ashes of the fire smouldering. It had obviously gone out quite a while ago, hence why he felt a slight chill through his body. He looked to his left where Ging was still sleeping soundly, mouth wide open and covered in the cloaks he'd wrapped around himself.

"How considerate of him to give me one…" Kite muttered fondly as he stood up carefully and stamped on the remaining ashes. He thought he may as well find breakfast since Ging didn't look like he was going to be easily stirred from his sleep. Kite always found that amusing, he could spend a good hour poking him and kicking him, trying to wake him up and failing, but if something important or exciting started happening, he'd be up right away, and off faster than Kite could follow.

Kite slid down the rocks and came to the part of the forest that met the river. He smiled to see the birds swoop down to greet him, and the rabbits come and look at him. He loved nature and all it held. He sat down in the grass and inhaled the fresh, clean air. His fingers were wet with the morning dew, and it would probably leave an awful stain on his trousers, but Kite thought about just how little he cared. He shook the sleep from his face and began to prepare his fishing rod. He had left it down here yesterday. There seemed to be nothing around that would destroy it and so he figured he could leave it here.

He swung it out in to the river and waited peacefully.

The mere motion made him smile as he remembered fishing with Ging for the first time. Ging had boasted on and on about how he was the best fisherman and he could beat anyone in a challenge, so he and Kite had a competition, 'who could catch the most fish in one hour'. Kite hadn't expected to win by such a small margin. He hadn't expected to win at all! He'd caught three more fish, with his total of 104, to Ging's 101. Ging had sulked for a good four hours after…

Needless to say they'd eaten fish for a long while after that… He remembered the aroma that had hung around them for weeks after… people would cross the street to avoid the smell.

Kite sighed and pulled in his rod with his first catch of the day. It flopped around unattractively as he laid it down beside him and continued.

He very swiftly caught six and took a leisurely stroll back up to where they had camped.

"Ah! Kite! You're back!" Ging beamed, "I wanted to talk to you!"

"What about?" Kite placed the fish down and started setting up a new fire to cook their breakfast.

"Ah." Ging smiled and shrugged it off, "It can wait until after we've eaten."

"Oh." Kite blew the fire to make it bigger, "Well what's it vaguely about?" He expected Ging to suddenly turn it in to a guessing game, but Ging stood there with a broad smile on his face, not joking… just surprisingly serious.

"It's your final Hunter challenge."

Kite looked at him, "I'm already a Hunter?"

"Well, I want you to do one final thing to prove to me that you're a Hunter."

"And what's that?" Kite spiked the fish to prepare them.

"Well," Ging sat down with his friend, "Cook me breakfast and I'll tell you!"

Kite put the fish on to cook and they chatted idly about the days ahead, the days before and all manner of things. The way they always talked.

"Say, how long have we known each other?" Ging slapped his hands on his knees happily, "It seems like forever!"

"It feels like forever." Kite smiled, turning the fish, "Let's see, I was seventeen when we met."

"You looked so much younger!" Ging grinned, "But actually, we were the same age… I always thought of you as a little brother."

"All right, all right…" Kite smiled, "And I took the hunter exam at 21."

"Yep!" Ging rocked on to his back, holding a flower up to the newly risen sun, "And you passed straight away because you already knew Nen!"

"Yes."

"All thanks to yours truly!" Ging beamed.

"Yes man who refused to be my master but still takes all the credit."

Ging winked and stuck his tongue out cheekily, "Well I deserve it!"

Kite just raised his eyebrows knowingly, "And now here we are. Both 23."

"I like it when we do stuff together." Ging rolled on to his front, "Not many people can keep up with me, a lot of people get in my way, but you. You can keep up with me."

"It takes effort, believe me…" Kite smiled and turned the fish over the fire. "But yeah, we've been friends for six years now…"

"I've only ever had friends from Whale Island for that long!" Ging pulled himself upwards and twisted the grass with his fingers, "And they were fishermen and such."

"You always sound fond when you talk about Whale Island…" Kite smiled, "You must have had a happy childhood."

"I did." Ging smiled, "I did."

The fish cooked over the fire, creating a fresh smell which changed every time Kite put a little more seasoning on it. Eventually he removed it from the heat and handed one of the sticks to Ging, and they sat and ate their breakfast watching the birds fly around them, circling them, landing so close to them, unafraid of the gentle men.

"Kite." Ging spoke after a while. "Are you ready to prove to me that you're a pro, top class, Hunter?"

Kite sighed, "I don't know what all this is about. Are you going to try and get me killed or something? You'd enjoy watching me dodge death, _again_ , wouldn't you?" Kite grinned at him but saw the very serious expression Ging was making at him, one with a sort of untold sorrow behind his eyes. "All right."

Ging paused. "Catch me if you can then."

"What?"

"Catch me. If you can." The corners of his mouth began to curl up.

Kite stared, "What are you saying?"

The mischievous grin that Kite knew so well grew across Ging's face, "If you're a Hunter, you should hunt the hardest thing to catch in the world. Me."

"You?"

"It won't be easy. I'll purposely hide and if I sense you, I'll be instantly gone." Ging seemed to be getting excited, "And when you find me, I'll admit you're a pro Hunter."

The wind blew the fire gently, and Kite blinked in the hazy sun.

"All right."

Ging beamed as if he'd expected this answer all along, there had been no real choice, "Good luck."

"I think I'll need it." Kite smiled, glancing down slightly worriedly at his feet, "I don't know what I'm meant to do for company while you're gone though…"

"I'm sure you'll find some." Ging stood, "Here!" He tossed down an item that landed neatly by Kite.

"Your Hunter license?" Kite frowned, studying it.

"I hope we meet again. Kite." His voice was strong and friendly.

Kite stared at the Hunter license, "Yeah so do I… But…" Kite looked up at where Ging had stood.

But now he was nowhere to be seen. Kite was used to Ging doing this and stumbling back in the evening covered in twigs and leaves, chasing some rare bird or a wild animal, but this time, Kite would have to do the legwork.

He'd have to do the impossible.

He would have to find Ging.


End file.
